Thwaites and Barnes are Bingley Top Dogs

 

Round 8 Yorkshire Points Cyclo-Cross
Myrtle Park, Bingley, 25 November 2007
Report/Images: Phil Ingham

 

The eighth and final round of the Yorkshire Points Series took riders to Myrtle Park, Bingley for an event promoted by Bradford RCC/Lynn Motors. After a week of winter weather, the course was actually in good order and although sticky, the mud was bearable for a field of over well over 100 riders, spread across four races.

Winner, Mark Thwaites (left) and Steve Smales tackle the Myrtle mud

The senior race saw an outstanding ride by local rider Mark Thwaites, who was simply in a class of his own and took his second win of the series, leading from start to finish. Behind him, there was much more closely contested battle for second and third. Jamie Sharp has had a very consistent series and he looked to be heading for second before problems mid-race dropped him back to fourth.

Robin Bradbury, on his way to third

Taking advantage were Chris Young, who started steadily and moved up to take second in the end, and Robin Bradbury, who managed his best result of a season where he's really hit form in recent weeks, collecting third. Sharp, nonetheless, took second in the series, behind the absent Stuart Wearmouth. Young took fourth, behind arch-rival Noel Clough, who also chose to take the week off. Rob Watson was the top Junior, taking 8th place, his sixth win in the category this season.

Action from the exciting Youth race

The best race of the day was the Youth event, which saw another titanic battle between Paul Young and Thomas Moses. The pair have dominated the series and although Moses had wrapped up the title, Young was more than prepared to take the race to his rival. The pair circulated together, each trying to shake off the other. Going into the last lap they were still locked together and it looked like it might come down to a sprint finish, but Young turned up the gas in the final loop though the park and pulled clear by half a dozen lengths, giving him time to enjoy his win. Oli Webster took third and with it third in the series, whilst Hannah Shenton was the first girl in 8th place.

Steve Barron leads out the Vets race, closely followed by Steve Barnes, nearest the camera

On paper, the Vets' race was going to be a lap of honour for series winner Richard Binks. However, comeback man Steve Barnes has been getting faster week-in-week-out this season and he went into the lead from the start. Bonks stayed with him for much of the race, but Barnes showed that his excellent 9th in the previous week's National Trophy event at Mallory, when he beat Binks amongst others in terrible conditions, was no fluke. He finally shook off Binks and claimed his first win of the series. Binks came in second and can look back on a great season, when, apart from the first round when he picked up a puncture, he's never been out of the top two.

Isla Rowntree (left) and Lynn Bland

 

Top over-60, John Ginley (left) and Vets' winner Steve Barnes

Behind them, there was another fine battle between Steve Barron and Darrell Bradbury, with Barron eventually taking third. West Midlands' visitor Isla Rowntree rode a smooth race to claim fifth and first woman, with team-mate Louise Robinson taking seventh. Look out for a storming end to the season from these two, who filled the top spots in last week's Mallory Trophy and who looked intent on building on that mixing it with Yorkshire's best Vets. Meanwhile, Lynn Bland put in another consistent ride to claim the Women's series title.

The big under-12 field gets going

The Under-12 race attracted a great field of 24 riders, with a large influx of East Morton riders boosting numbers. However, it was regular winner Billy Harding who took the honours, threading his way expertly though the less experienced riders as he lapped at an impressive rate, Second was Chris Barnes, with Joe Parker third. Hannah Saville was first girl in fourth.

Results

Senior & Junior
1 Mark Thwaites Kinesis UK
2 Chris Young Team JD Cycles
3 Robin Bradbury Aire Valley RT
4 James Sharp York Cycleworks
5 Mark Wolstenholme Team Swift/Allsports
6 Neil Crampton
7 Rob Thackray Paul Milnes RT
8 Rob Watson Paul Milnes RT
9 Craig Gath Selby CC
10 Steve Magina
11 Dan Lowethorpe Rutland CC
12 Ben Imeson Boneshakers RT
13 Miles Chandler Aire Valley RT
14 Marcus Pearson
15 Mark Townend unattached
16 P Fielding Smith
17 Steve Smales Team Swift/Allsports
18 Andrew Woodruff
19 Nathan Smith Rutland CC
20 AD Rudd
21 Rick Crabtree Pedal Sport
22 Doug Hart
23 Anthont Grieff Gosforth RC
24 Paul Milsom Calder Clarion

Veteran & Women
1 S Barnes Seacroft Whls
2 R Binks Triangle RT
3 S Barron VC Lincoln
4 D Bradbury Norton Whls
5 I Rowntree Stourbridge CC
6 A Marshall VS Cycles
7 L Robinson Stourbridge CC
8 Colin Moses Aire Valley RT
9 G Bird Team JD Cycles
10 C Warren
11 M Vesty Boneshakers RT
12 T Beachill U/A
13 P Ingham Dream Mechanics
14 J Shenton Paul Milnes RT
15 W Nicholson K Clarke Training
16 A France Holme Valley Wh
17 J Ginley Condor RC
18 K Saville Norton Whls
19 G Bailey U/A
20 P Sleaford Norton Whls
21 P Dalton Matlock CC
22 Craven Moses Bronte Whls
23 D Green Bronte Whls
24 F Van Schelven Fat Birds
25 P Helliwell Bradford RCC
26 G Fountain Norton Whls
27 M Hopkins Otley CC
28 D Shackleton Yorkshire Velo
29 A Speight VU
30 G Piccavey
31 R Burnham Condor RC
32 K Hickie Bronte Whls
33 O Henrikson U/A
34 L Bland Norton Whls
35 T Evans East Bradford CC
36 P Crabtree K & C AC
37 P Bradford Paul Milnes RT
38 J Redmond Paul Milnes RT
39 S Thewlis
40 A Blanshard Hudds Star Wh
41 B Baker U/A
42 C Stevens Triangle RT
43 P Hamilton U/A
44 G Marsh Seacroft Whls
45 R Edwards WY Police CC
46 M Harding East Bradford CC
47 Peter Milsom Calder Clarion
48 S Cavell Condor RC
49 D Buffham Harrogate Nova CC
50 C Parker East Bradford CC
51 C Nunn
52 C Crabtree Pedalsport

Youth
1 P Young Team JD Cycles U16
2 T Moses SSC-Cyclesport U16
3 O Webster Team JD Cycles U16
4 B Dalton Matlock CC U16
5 N Barnes Seacroft Whls U14
6 H Stevens Triangle RT U16
7 H Fletcher-Cooney Gill Cycles U16
8 H Shenton Team Chance G/U16
9 L Simpson Leeds St Christopher U14
10 T Warren Leeds Bradford Tri U14
11 T Saville Thurcroft CC U14
12 J Womersley East Bradford CC U14
13 J Moses Bronte Wh U14
14 M Speight G/U14
15 A Oliver-Evans East Bradford CC G/U16
16 J Tonnes U/A U16

 

Under-12
1 B Harding East Bradford
2 C Barnes Seacroft Whls
3 J Parker Crosstrax
4 H Saville NMYS
5 B Barrett Pedalsport
6 L Harworth East Morton
7 M Vesty Boneshakers RT
8 H Preston East Morton
9 T Loftus Lakes RCC
10 B Eastbury East Morton
11 J Clark Paul Milnes
12 A Dobson East Morton
13 M Foster East Morton
14 J Butterfield East Morton
15 G Stevens Triangle RT
16 S Thackray Paul Milnes
17 J Allwood East Morton
18 A Green U/A
19 S Foster East Morton
20 O Crabtree Keighley & Craven
21 A Hinchliffe Bradford RRC
22 O Ingham Dream CC
23 E Saunders u/a
24 W Thackray Paul Milnes